MILESTONES

Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Thomas P. Halko, formerly of Youngstown, as been selected the 2012 Trooper of the Year at the Norwalk Post.

The selection of Halko, 29, is in recognition of his service this year at the post. Fellow officers stationed at Norwalk chose Trooper Halko based on leadership abilities, professional ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiastic work attitude, and cooperation with supervisors, peers and the public.

Halko is in contention for the District and State Trooper of the Year Award to be announced at a later date. Halko joined the patrol in 2007 and has served at the Norwalk Post.

A graduate of Ursuline High School, Halko attended Youngstown State and received his associate degree in criminal justice. Halko and his wife, Kari, live in Oberlin with their 2-year-old son, Ethan.

HONORS

National office

The Rev. Dr. Lewis W. Macklin II, lead pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church on Youngstown’s South Side, recently was elected as national vice president of the National One Church One Child Inc. at its 25th annual conference in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Rev. Dr. Macklin also serves as the chairman of Mahoning County Children Services Board and president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.

One Church, One Child is a national recruitment organization that promotes fostering and adoption among minorities. Founded in 1980 by the Rev. George Clements in Chicago, the national program addresses problems or gaps in service delivery in recruitment of families in the black community.

The goal of One Church One Child programs is to recruit viable families from the faith community. One Church One Child works in partnership with state and local social service departments and agencies. Locally, the One Church One Child of the Mahoning Valley has two dozen church partners and is housed at Mahoning County Children Services Board.

Milestones is a regular Sunday feature in The Vindicator. Articles must be submitted within 30 days of the Milestone event. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you want a picture returned. Pictures also may be picked up at the paper’s Front Street facility at the security guard station. Send items to: Milestones, c/o The Vindicator, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown, OH 44501.